Foldable grandstand

ABSTRACT

A grandstand arrangement capable of being completely folded by means of a powered winch mechanism and cable entrained about pulleys staggered between the front and rear ends of the grandstand to effect an upward lift at each level and a complete folding of the arrangement. Spacers are also provided near the floor level to maintain a uniform folding between tiers thereby increasing its stability.

United States Patent [1 1 Mackintosh FOLDABLE GRANDSTAND [21] Appl. No.:252,260

[52] U.S. Cl 52/10, 52/109, 52/121 [51] Int. Cl E04h 3/14 [58] Field ofSearch 52/64, 67, 8, 9,

52/10, 109, 121; 160/84 R, 84 H, 84 V; 182/69, 152; 14/45; 74/521 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,460,597 7/1923 Maurer 160/84 R2,147,564 2/1939 Vance v l 52/10 3,373,844 3/1968 Schafer... 182/69 X1,708,113 4/1929 Allen 14/45 [451 July 31, 1973 2,205,624 6/1940 Horn .152/9 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 849,002 7/1952 Germany [82/152775,760 5/1957 Great Britain 52]) 613,392 12/1960 ltaly 182/152 PrimaryExaminer-John E. Murtagh Attorney-Aubrey Hummer 6 Claims, 10 DrawingFigures PAIENIEnJum ma SHEET 1 0F 5 ma mj Nmw PAIENIED JUL 31 I973 SHEEI2 OF 5 1 FOLDABLE GRANDSTAND This invention relates generally to afoldable grandstand and more particularly to such a grandstand capableof being easily folded into a collapsed condition with the use of apower actuated means.

In accordance with the present design, a grandstand has been devised tobe folded into a compact space with the use of a power actuated cablemeans which causes the various platform sections at each level of thegrandstand to be lifted upwardly during folding, in a simple, efficientand highly economical manner. Moreover, the cable is so arranged as torender the grandstand more stable during its folding operation; and,moreover, spacers are provided near the floor level of the grandstandarrangement to prevent the bottom thereof from folding too closelytogether and possibly causing the grandstand to be too bulky and topheavy.

To this end, the principal object of the present invention is to providesuch a foldable grandstand for auditorium or similar uses whereinintermediate vertical frames are disposed between vertical frames whichsupport the grandstand and are movable upwardly therealong by means of acable which, when actuated by a powered winch mechanism, causes suchupward movement during collapse of the grandstand.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a grandstand whereinthe cable is entrained about pulleys arranged in a zig-zag manner at thelower end of these intermediate frames and on the support frames at anelevation higher than said lower ends, whereby the cable effects anupward movement of the intermediate frames during a collapse of thearrangement.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a grandstandwherein a pair of such pulleys are vertically spaced on the rearmost endof such supporting frames so as to more evently distribute the forceapplied by the cable during movement of the various support framestogether during the collapse of the arrangement. I v

A still further object of this invention is to provide horizontalbracing means between the intermediate frames and the support framesnear the floor level so that, when pivoted during collapse of thegrandstand, these bracing means serve as spacers to prevent the bottomof the unit from folding together too closely and, possibly, causing thegrandstand to be too top heavy.

Other objects, advantages and other features of the invention willbecome apparent. from the following description of the invention whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 (a) and l (b) are side elevational views showing a part of thegrandstand arrangement in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the grandstand arrangement inits folded or collapsed condition.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of one of the support frames takenalong line 3-3 of FIG. 1 (b);

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of an intermediate frame taken alongthe line 4-4 of FIG. 1 (a);

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are detailed views showing various details of thearrangement of FIGS. 1 (a) and l (b);

FIG. 8 is a top view of the FIG. 7 detail, taken along the line 8-8thereof; and,

FIG. 9 is a detailed view, taken along the line 99 of FIG. I (a).

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference charactersreferred to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown a grandstand arrangement generally designated 10 in FIGS.1 a and l b which discloses six complete rows of a multi-tieredgrandstand, it being understood that several additional rows may beincluded for the arrangement as shown in FIG. 2.

The grandstand comprises a plurality of vertical frames 11 the forwardone of which 11 a being a rail structure for the occupants seated in rowI on chairs of a design as, for example, shown in my relatedapplication, entitled Collapsible Chair.

A typical frame 11 is shown in FIG. 3, in front elevation, setting forththe details of the forward frame in row V. It should be understood,however, that the remaining vertical frames 11 throughout thearrangement are similar to that shown in FIG. 3, except that the typeand number of cross-bracing members may vary depending on the specificframe height.

In FIG. 3, frame 11 comprises a pair of spaced vertical support members12 having casters or other type wheels 13 mounted at their lower endsand being supported, when the grandstand is occupied, by means ofblocks, such as 14. Vertical, horizontal and diagonal brace members l5,l6, 17, respectively, are interconnected in any normal manner to effecta stable and unitary support frame 11.

Horizontal support panels 18 are provided for each of the tiers and, ascan be seen in FIGS. 1a and lb, the panels together extend betweenadjacent frames 11 and are hingedly interconnected therewith as at 19for movement of each panel at each level toward their respective frames11. Each pair of support panels 18 are also hingedly interconnected asat 21 with a transverse support member 22, as shown most clearly in FIG.4, as comprising an element of an intermediate frame 23. As can be seen,such intermediate frame 23 is provided for each of the multi-level rowsof the grandstand and is disposed centrally between adjacent supportframes 11. Intermediate frame 23 further includes vertical members 24,the height of which depends on the row at which such frame is located.Each member 24 has a pulley 25 mounted at its lower end with theexception of members 24 in rows I and II, which are merely provided witha rounded end of rubber or some other similar type material. Vertical,horizontal and diagonal strut members 26, 27, 28, respectively, make upthe remainder of each intermediate frame 23 as a structural unit, itbeing understood that fewer or more than the number of struts disclosedin FIG. 4 are used to provide a strong intermediate frame unit dependingon the height of each tier of the grandstand in which it is used.

Diagonal bracing members 29 arev provided at each row of the grandstandand are each hingedly secured to a vertical support member 12 at one endand at its other end are hingedly secured as at 31 to a movable sleevemember 32 secured to each vertical member 24, as clearly shown in FIGS.4 and 5. A sleeve 33, secured as by welding to the vertical member 24 isprovided to act as a stop member for the movable sleeve 32 in theextended condition of the grandstand as shown in FIGS la and lb.

In addition to pulleys 25, another series of pulleys 34 are provided oneach of the vertical support members I 12 at an elevation higher thanthe pulleys 25. Moreover, an additional pulley 34a is mounted on themember 12 for the first tier I at a level slightly lower than the pulley24 thereon, while yet another pulley 34b is provided at a high elevationon the vertical support member 12 for the last tier as shown in FIG. 2.Each of the pulleys 34 is mounted on a rod, as shown in FIG. 9, which isbolted in place as at 37 on support member 12. The pulley is permittedto move slightly along its rod within a peripheral groove thereon, asshown, thereby being capable of moving a small degree relative to theirsupports 12 during collapse of the grandstand.

A cable 38 is provided for moving the vertical frames 11 toward oneanother to effect a full collapse of the grandstand as shown in FIG. 2.To this end, the cable 38 is secured at one end to frame 11a and isentrained about each of the pulleys 25, 34 and about the lower ends ofthe uprights 34 tiers I and II, with the opposite end of the cable beingsecured to a cable drum 39. The drum is driven by means of a motor 41mounted in any convenient location on the grandstand and through belts42, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Horizontal brace members 43 are provided between adjacent pairs offrames 11, in a manner whereby each of the braces 43 is pivotallysecured at one end to a vertical support member 12 and, at its otherend, to the lower end of a vertical upright 24. The pivotal connectionfor the members 43 with the vertical members 12 is shown in detail inFIGS. 7 and 8. Also, horizontal brace members 43a are provided foradditional horizontal support for those tiers of relatively highelevation, such as V through X. Members 43a are pivotally secured attheir opposite ends to members and uprights 24 in a manner similar tothat described for members 43.

As partially shown in both FIGS. lb and 2, it may become necessary forstability purposes to provide more than a single set of diagonal bracingmembers 29, for the higher grandstand tiers. Accordingly, two sets ofbracing members 29 are shown for row VII, as well as for row X.

Turning to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the manner of collapsing thegrandstand so as to move the frames 11 toward one another, may becarried out by actuating the motor 41 for rotating drum 39 in acounterclockwise direction thereby moving the opposite ends of cable 38toward one another. It should be pointed out that, in the interest ofclarity, only several of the horizontal braces 43 and diagonal bracings29 are shown since such bracing members function in a similar manner foreach of the grandstand tiers. As the opposite ends of the cable aremoved toward one another, each of the grandstand tiers are made tocollapse, as the pairs of support panels 18 thereof begin to fold uponone another during an upward movement of vertical members 24. Thisupward movement of each member 24 is effected at relatively the sametime by means of the force exerted by the cable in an upward directionas its length begins to shorten between adjacent frames I I. It can beseen that the staggered location of the pulleys 25, 34, for each of thegrandstand tiers, permits the cable at each level to exert an upwardforce against the bottom of each vertical upright 24 which thereby liftsthe transverse member 22 and causes a folding of the pairs of supportpanels in the manner as shown in FIG. 2. The free floating pulleys 34are able to move along their respective bolts 37 during the collapsingoperation of the grandstand thereby avoiding any possibility ofmisalignment between the cable and these pulleys.

Also, the horizontal brace members 43 pivot at their opposite endsduring folding into a position shown in FIG. 2. These horizontal bracesthereby serve as spacers for each tier of the grandstand to prevent thebottom of the grandstand arrangement from folding together too closelyand causing the arrangement to be too clumsy and top heavy whencompletely folded. Moreover, the use of a pair of spaced pulleys 34, 34bon the rearmost vertical member 12, increases the stability of thegrandstand during the collapsing operation since the force exerted bythe cable is distributed between high and low elevations on thegrandstand, thereby minimizing a toppling-over of the unit during itscollapsing operation.

In order for the vertical frames to move without impairment during thecollapsing operation, swivel caster wheels 13 at the lower ends ofmembers 12 may be provided to avoid any slight misalignment between thegrandstand tiers during the collapsing operation. In the alternative,guides or tracks may be provided on the floor to assure that thegrandstand arrangement will not move from side to side during thecollapsing operation.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that a grandstand arrangement hasbeen devised which is relatively uncomplicated in its construction, yetis capable of being collapsed with the use of a power actuated cablewhich causes an upward lifting of intermediate frames and a folding ofhorizontal panel pairs between support frames, in an efficient,economical and highly effective manner.

Obviously, many alterations and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appendent claims, theinventioned may be practiced otherwise than specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A grandstand arrangement comprising a plurality of vertical framesresting on the ground at their lower ends between an extended and acollapsed position, a pair of horizontal support panels extendingbetween adjacent frames and being hingedly connected thereto and to oneanother to permit a folding of said panels on one another duringgrandstand collapse, said panels lying in a different horizontal planesbetween adjacent frames thereby defining a multi-tiered grandstand,vertical support frames intermediate said vertical frames, horizontalbracing means and diagonal bracing means extending between saidintermediate said vertical frames, means for moving said vertical framestoward one another comprising a pulley mounted at the lower end of eachsaid intermediate frame and mounted also on said vertical frames at anelevation higher than at said lower ends, a cable secured at one end tothe fore most one of said vertical frames and at its opposite end to apower operated winch, mounted on one of said vertical frames, the cableintermediate said ends being guided by and entrained about said pulleys,whereby, upon movement of said cable ends toward one another by means ofsaid winch, said intermediate frames are moved upwardly with respect tosaid vertical frames as said panels are folded.

2. The grandstand arrangement according to claim 1, wherein saidvertical support frames each include vertical support members andwherein said diagonal bracing means include diagonal brace membershingedly secured at one end to said vertical frames and at theiropposite end to said vertical support members, and said wherein eachsaid intermediate frame includes a transverse support member, each saidpair of panels being hingedly secured to each other through theirrespective transverse support members.

6. The grandstand arrangement according to claim 2, wherein saidhorizontal bracing means comprise horizontal brace members pivotablysecured at opposite ends to the lower ends of said vertical supportmembers and to said lower end of said intermediate frames, respectively.

1. A grandstand arrangement comprising a plurality of vertical frames resting on the ground at their lower ends between an extended and a collapsed position, a pair of horizontal support panels extending between adjacent frames and being hingedly connected thereto and to one another to permit a folding of said panels on one another during grandstand collapse, said panels lying in a different horizontal planes between adjacent frames thereby defining a multi-tiered grandstand, vertical support frames intermediate said vertical frames, horizontal bracing means and diagonal bracing means extending between said intermediate said vertical frames, means for moving said vertical frames toward one another comprising a pulley mounted at the lower end of each said intermediate frame and mounted also on said vertical frames at an elevation higher than at said lower ends, a cable secured at one end to the foremost one of said vertical frames and at its opposite end to a power operated winch, mounted on one of said vertical frames, the cable intermediate said ends being guided by and entrained about said pulleys, whereby, upon movement of said cable ends toward one another by means of said winch, said intermediate frames are moved upwardly with respect to said vertical frames as said panels are folded.
 2. The grandstand arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said vertical support frames each include vertical support members and wherein said diagonal bracing means include diagonal brace members hingedly secured at one end to said vertical frames and at their opposite end to said vertical support members, and said diagonal members being arranged to move slidingly along said vertical support members.
 3. The grandstand arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a spaced pair of said pulleys are mounted on the rearmost one of said vertical frames, one of said pair being mounted on said rearmost frame at an elevation higher than at said vertical frame mounted pulleys about which said cable is also entrained.
 4. The grandstand arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said wheel means are secured to the lower ends of each said vertical support members.
 5. The grandstand arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each said intermediate frame includes a transverse support member, each said pair of panels being hingedly secured to each other through their respective transverse support members.
 6. The grandstand arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said horizontal bracing means comprise horizontal brace members pivotably secured at opposite ends to the lower ends of said vertical support members and to said lower end of said intermediate frames, respectively. 